Problems of Ultra Deep Exploration in the Alpine Region of Central Europe

The Alpine region of Central Europe is the largest mountain range — with the highest peaks — of our continent. It covers an area of 220,000 km2. This is approximately three times the size of Austria or about half the size of Sweden. It extends from the Passo dei Ciovi near Genoa, Italy, and Lake Geneva, Switzerland, in the west over 1100 km to the valley of the Danube River in the east. The Alps are between 150 km and 250 km wide; in the south the border is the Po Valley in Italy and in the north we have the foothills of Southern Germany and Austria.